40 years of change at VA Medical Center

Hospital's 1972 opening launched new era of care for local veterans

Leonard J. Deftos, center, who has been a doctor at the VA since its inception, chatted with staff physician Sunder J. Mudaliar in a conference room at the hospital on the 40th anniversary.
— John Gastaldo

Leonard J. Deftos, center, who has been a doctor at the VA since its inception, chatted with staff physician Sunder J. Mudaliar in a conference room at the hospital on the 40th anniversary.
— John Gastaldo

There have been many advancements at the hospital over four decades. New technology has been the most significant, said Robert M. Smith, VA San Diego Healthcare System’s acting director.

In 1998, VA San Diego became the first medical center in San Diego to have a fully implemented computerized medical record system. Smith said it has been responsible for reducing medical errors by 75 percent.

“The distance we’ve come is incredible,” Smith said. “The ability to be able to pull all that information together and use it to improve the quality of care is a phenomenal advancement.”

There also has been a dramatic shift from inpatient to outpatient care. Today, three of every four surgeries are done on an outpatient basis thanks to new, minimally invasive techniques, Smith said. The hospital opened in 1972 with 800 beds, but just an estimated 25 percent are now being used.

Gass, who rose to associate chief of staff in the 1980s, said San Diego’s VA stands up to any in the country.

“On virtually every measured statistic, we beat the established norms,” he said. “We’re not always at the top of every category, but we have nothing to be ashamed about.”